Cleaning device for revolving clearer rolls



F. H. MARTIN 2,739,326

CLEANING DEVICE FOR REVOLVING CLEARER ROLLS 14, 195] 3 Sheets-Sheet l rm my March 27, 1956 Filed Dec.

JNVEN TOR. Fl/RMAN ll. MART/N a m, E j ArroR/vEV-I F. H. MARTIN March 27, 1956 CLEANING DEVICE FOR REVOLVING CLEARER ROLLS 3 Sheets-Shee t 2 Filed Dec.

300 INVENTOR.

ll H

A TI'DRNEVS F. H. MARTIN March 27, 1956 CLEANING DEVICE FOR REVOLVING CLEARER ROLLS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 14, 195] INVENTOR. FUR/HAN h. MARTIN M, MMA, f, 84;.

CLEANING DEVICE FOR REVOLVING CLEARER ROLLS Furman H. Martin, Lancaster, S. C., assignor to The Springs Cotton Mills Application December 14, 1951, Serial No. 261,648

4 Claims. (Cl. 15--21) This invention relates to revolving clearer rolls such as are used as top roll clearers in spinning frames and other textile drafting equipment, and more particularly to a device adapted for cleaning these clearer rolls with exceptional speed and efficiency.

Revolving top clearer rolls are conventionally formed with several wooden body members of cylindrical shape spaced on a mounting shaft or rod, which is usually also formed of wood, so that the wooden body members are disposed to ride on the top rolls in a spinning frame or the like. with a covering, of woolen cloth or the like, that has an affinity for the fiber being drafted so that any loose fiber adhering to the top rolls during the drafting operation is picked up by these cloth covers to prevent fouling of the top rolls by this loose fiber. Initially the clearer roll cloth covers act directly to pick up the loose fibers from the top rolls, and then subsequently the accumulating fibers on the cloth covers make the pick up until a mass of about one-fourth of an inch in thickness has been accumulated.

it is necessary to remove this fibrous accumulation from the clearer rolls at more or less regular intervals because when the accumulation is allowed to become too great the fibers tend to separate from the accumulated fibrous mass and fall into the fiber being drafted to form the defects commonly referred to as slubs. This difficulty is particularly troublesome when revolving clearer rolls are used with long draft spinning apparatus, and it is especially important in this instance to provide for cleaning the clearer rolls with careful regularity and adequate frequency.

It has been standard practice in the past to clean these clearer rolls by hand, which at best is a time consuming and expensive operation, and which is almost impossible to arrange satisfactorily in long draft spinning operations where the tending of the top clearer rolls is a critical factor. There has been some prior proposals for cleaning these clearer rolls by mechanical means, but none of these proposals has proven satisfactory because they required the clearer rolls to be removed and cleaned at a distance from the spinning equipment and therefore required an impractical amount of handling.

According to the present invention a cleaning device for top clearer rolls is provided for operation directly at the spinning apparatus, so that the clearer rolls may be removed for cleaning and replaced with great handling efficiency and at a sufficiently rapid rate to provide for maintaining the clearer rolls in good operating condition at only a fraction of the cost heretofore incurred when this operation was attempted by hand.

Briefly described, the cleaning device of the present invention comprises a driven fiber stripping roll with adjacent means incorporating a rotatable carrier for progressively receiving and temporarily supporting the clearer rolls in spaced relation, and means for indexing this rotatable carrier so that the supported clearer rolls are successively presented at the stripping roll for cleaning.

These operating elements of the device are arranged ac- These wooden body members are each provided 2,739,326 Patented Mar. 27, 1956 cording to the present invention in a mobile housing that may be readily moved for operation directly at the spinning frame, and are associated with means by which the housing may be adapted for collecting the fibrous waste cleaned from the clearer rolls so that it needs to be removed and disposed of only at extended intervals.

These and other features of the clearer roll cleaning device of the present invention are described in further detail below, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of a representative embodiment of the cleaning device of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail taken substantially on the line 3-3 in Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation illustrating the arrangement of a preferred form of dofling roll employed according to the present invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the cleaning device of the present invention is shown arranged with a suitable frame structure forming a housing as indicated generally by the reference numeral 10. The previously mentioned fiber stripping roll is shown at 12 journalled for operation in a hood portion 14 of the frame structure 10, with one end of the mounting shaft 16 for this stripping roll 12 extending from the frame structure 10 to carry a pulley member 18 for a belt connection as at 20 from a drive motor 22 suitably supported at the base of the frame structure 10.

The above noted hood portion 14 of the frame structure 10 is sufiiciently open at the front of the device to allow cleaning contact of the stripping roll 12 with top roll clearers C presented serially for cleaning by a rotatable carrier disposed externally of the housing formed by the frame structure 10 at the open front portion thereof, as indicated generally at 24. This rotatable carrier 24 comprises spaced discs 26 which are formed with regularly spaced notches as at 28 that are shaped for loosely re ceiving and supporting the clearer rolls C so that they are free to revolve in these notches 28.

On an are adjacent the stripper roll 12, guide bars 30 are arranged concentrically with the rotatable carrier discs 26 to provide means for positioning the clearer rolls C properly in the notches 28 as the rotatable carrier 24 is operated to present them at the stripping roll 12 for clean ing. These guide bars 30 are pivoted at a lower straight shank portion 32 on a pivot rod 34 secured to the frame structure 10 as at 36 (see Fig. 2), and are also formed with upper straight shank portions as adapted for a clevis connection as at 4% with positioning rods 42 secured in extending relation on the frame structure 10 by opposed adjusting nuts as at 44, so that the extending disposition of the positioning rods 42 may be varied as desired to shift the arcuate portion of the guide bars 39 for guaging the depth of cleaning contact of the clearer rolls C with the stripping roll 12.

Operation of the rotatable carrier 24 for presenting the clearer rolls C serially at the stripping roll 12 is provided through an indexing mechanism incorporating a ratchet wheel 46 which is carried on a common mounting shaft 4-8 with the notched carrying discs 26, and which is engaged by a pawl member 50 arranged on an operating handle which is likewise carried on the mounting shaft 48 for pivoting movement between limit stops disposed adjacently on the frame structure 10 as at 54. This operating handle might, of course, be readily replaced by a foot pedal or a motor drive (not shown), if desired.

Proper alignment of the clearer rolls C at the stripping roll 12 as the notched carrier discs 26 are indexed in this manner is accomplished through a multi-faced cam 3 56 also carried on the mounting shaft 48 in relation to a spring loaded cam follower SS'that is biased with sufficient pressure through a spring loading arrangement as at 69 to position the carrier discs 26 through the cam 56 firmly at each indexed position until the indexing mechanism is again operated. As shown in the drawings, the multi-faced alignment cam 56 is formed for this purpose with a number of faces corresponding to the number of notches 28 provided in the carrier discs 26.

All of the elements of the rotatable carrier 2-4 and its associated indexing mechanism should be keyed on the common mounting shaft 48 as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 at 48', or similarly assembled thereon, so that the assembly may be readily maintained in time while allowing lateral adjustment of the notch discs 26 (through set screw fastening means or the like as at 26' in Fig. l) to fit clearer rolls C from different gnage frames, and it will be noted that the positioning rods 42 for the guide bars 30 are secured on the frame structure at elongated slots 42 for this same purpose.

In order to maintain the clearer rolls C in proper cleaning contact with the stripping roll 12 as they are presented by the rotatable carrier 24, a friction element or brake paddle 62 is mounted below the point of cleaning contact on a .pivot shaft .64 which also carries spring loading arms 66 adjacent each end from which tension springs 68 are extended. The pivot shaft 64 is arranged on the frame structure 10 in bearing brackets :as at 64', and the tension springs '68 .are extended to stud members 70 secured at brackets 72 on the frame structure 10 by opposed adjusting nuts 74 which allow the tension of the springs 68 to be adjusted as desired. The force of these springs 68 results in urging the friction element 62 to a pivoted position pressing the clearer rolls C against the retaining bars 3.0 for the eleaningtcontact gauged thereby, and also serves to cause the friction element .62 to impose a dragon the clearer .roll C being cleaned so that it revolves at a relatively slow rate during the cleaning contact with the stripping roll 12 .to allow the fibrous coating thereon to be cleaned to the best advantage.

'In operation, the clearer rolls C to be cleaned are successively placed in the notches 28 of the rotatable carrier discs 26 at the topmost position of these notches 28. Actuation of the indexing mechanism through the operating handle 52 results in advancing each .clearer roll C placed in the notches 28 at this position to a succeeding sidewise position at which it is presented in cleaning contact with the stripping roll 12, with the retaining bars ,guagi-ng the depth of cleaning contact and the friction element 62 pressing the-clearer roll C to the .guaged cleaning depth and restraining its rotation for effective cleaning. Succeeding actuations of the indexing mechanism result in moving -a clearer roll C that has just been cleaned to the lowermost position of the rotating carrier notches .28, and simultaneously presenting a following clearer roll C at the stripping roll 12 for cleaning. During this movement of the cleaned clearer roll to the lowermost position of the notches 28, the brake paddle 62 :pivots at its pivot shaft 64 to a position as shown by broken lines in Fig. 3 so as to allow passage of the cleaned clearer roll as it moves to the lowermost \position of the notches 2'8 and passes beyond the guide bars 30 to drop from the carrier dies 26 as at C (see Fig. 2), the brake paddle 62 springing back after each cleaned clearer roll passes in this manner for contact with the following clearer roll C simultaneously presented for cleaning at the stripping roll 12.

The fiber stripping roll 12 by which the cleaning of the clearer roll C is effected is suitably formed with a covering of wire fillet as at 76, comparable to that used on card stripping rolls. The elements of the wire fillet covering 76 are preferably of the type having a bend or knee approximately midway of their length, and an operating speed of about 350 11.1. M. for a stripping roll 4 I about 6" in diameter has been found to give very satisfactory cleaning action.

In order to maintain the stripping roll 12 free of the fibrous waste cleaned from the clearer rolls C, a brush or doffing roll 78 is journalled in the frame structure 10 below the stripping roll 12, and with the mounting shaft 80 for this dofiing roll 78 also extending beyond the frame structure 10 to carry a pulley member '82 in contact with the belt connection 20 from the drive motor 22. This doffing roll 78 is driven in the opposite direction to that of the stripping roll '12 and at approximately five times the speed of the stripping roll 12 in order to provide a positive stripping action. The dofiing roll 78 is formed with a highly polished body of wood or other suitable material and is provided with a wire brush-like covering which may be suitably formed by mounting small naillike elements as at 84 to project radially and arranged spirally around the circumference of the roll from end to and (see Fig. 4). Four or five lines of these spirally arranged nail-like elements 84 of about 1 /2 inches in length and equally spaced about /4 inch apart provide very effective dotr'ing action when the brush roll 78 is set so that these elements .84 penetrate about inch into the wire fillet covering 76 of the stripper roll 12. The straight projecting form of the nail-like elements 84 and the highly polished surface of the roll body, as mentioned above, as well as the high surface speed of the deffing roll 78, allow .the fibrous waste doffed from the stripper roll 12 to detach itself easily from the dotting roll 78 for collection in the housing formed by the frame structure 10.

Collection of this doiled waste may be accomplished satisfactorily .by merely allowing it to accumulate in the bottom portion of this frame structure 10 as delivered directly from the dofiing roll 78, but the waste may be accommodated .to even better effect by providing the frame structure 10 with a hopper portion 86 having sloping sides, as shown in the drawings, which lead to a pair of condensing rolls 88 that are spring loaded as indicated at 90 in Fig. .2 so as to turn in contact with each other and are driven through a speed reduction unit as at 92 through a belt connection 94 for operation at a relatively slow-speed of about 5 to 10 R. P. M. as compared with the doffing and stripping roll speeds indicated above. As shown by directional arrows in Fig. 2 these condensing rolls .88 rotate inwardly and downwardly together so as to draw the dofied fibrous waste from the hopper portion 86 and force it in a very compact form into the lower portion of the housing formed by the frame structure 10, where an access door 96 may be provided for periodic removal of the collected waste.

The highly condensed form of the fibrous waste delivered in this manner for collection in the bottom housing ,portion of the frame structure 10 makes it possible to accumulate a very substantial amount of the waste before any removal is necessary, so that the cleaning device of the present invention is thereby rendered capable of operating for relatively extended periods without any attention to the collected waste and entirely satisfactory results in thisrespect may be obtained by merely allowing the compacted waste to accumulate in the bottom of the frame structure 10 as it issues from the condensing rolls 88. Alternatively, a winding pin (not shown) might be arranged in the lower frame structure portion to rotate very slowly below the condensing rolls 88 so as to take up the compacted waste in roll form much in the way that a picker lap is formed to collect the fibrous waste in a cylindrical mass that might be removed from time to time through a suitably proportioned access door.

The frame structure .10 may also be provided with an access door as at 98 in the hood ,portion 14 toallow access at point .to the various operating elements contained therein, and the frame structure 10 is suitably rendered mobile by means-of wheels or rollers 100 at the bottom of the frame structure 10 adjacent each corner so that the cleaning device may be moved easily to a point directly adjacent the spinning apparatus for the cleaning operation. In order to facilitate steering of the device during movement from job to job, the rollers such as 100 located at the drive motor end of the device may be mounted in swivel casters (not shown), while the rollers 102 at the other end of the machine should be mounted in straight casters as at 102 so as to roll at right angles to the thrust of the operating handle 52 for the indexing mechanism and thereby stabilize the device against rolling when the cleaning operation is in progress.

In addition, the frame structure is preferably equipped at its front face with a receiving trough for the cleaned clearer rolls C. A suitable receiving trough for this purpose may be advantageously arranged as shown in the drawings at 104 by mounting framing rods 106 in sleeve brackets 108 to pivot about vertical axes, these framing rods 108 being formed with a horizontal reach from the frame structure 10 sufiicient to accommodate a folding shelf plate 110 hinged to the frame structure 10 as at 112, and with a succeeding vertical reach sufficient to receive edge sleeve portions of an outer plate or wall member 114. By this arrangement, the framing rods 106 are adapted for pivoting to a position at 90 from the front face of the frame structure 10 so that the shelf plate 110 may be folded downwardly to rest on their horizontal reach while their vertical reach positions the outer wall member 114 to form a trough for accumulating a group of the cleaned clearer rolls C. When not in use, or when the cleaning device is being moved from one job to another, the shelf plate 110 may be folded up against the front face of the frame structure 10 so as to allow the framing rods 106 to be pivoted to a retracted position about their vertical mounting axes with the wall member 114 being arranged to collapse as the framing rods 106 are retracted, or being removed and placed so as to be retained against the folded shelf plate 110 by the retracted framing rods 106.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cleaning device for revolving clearer rolls, said device comprising a driven fiber stripping roll, a pair of peripherally notched disc members mounted for rotation about an axis parallel with the axis of said stripping roll and spaced therefrom so that said disc members are disposed in adjacent peripheral relation with respect to said stripping roll, the peripheral notches in said disc members being regularly spaced and adapted for receiving and supporting said clearer rolls to revolve therein, means for indexing said disc members to present said clearer rolls successively at said stripping roll for cleaning contact, arcuate guide elements substantially concentric with said disc members and disposed in relation to the peripheries thereof adjacent said stripping roll for positioning said clearer rolls on said disc members during indexing for said cleaning contact, and yieldable means engaging said clearer rolls when presented at said stripping roll and pressing said clearer rolls outwardly from said carrier against said arcuate guide elements.

2. A cleaning device as defined in claim 1 and further characterized in that said guide elements are adjustably disposed in relation to the peripheries of said disc members for gauging the depth of cleaning contact with said stripping roll.

3. A cleaning device for revolving clearer rolls, said device comprising a driven fiber stripping roll, means incorporating a pair of peripherally notched disc members mounted for rotation about an axis parallel with the axis of said stripping roll and spaced therefrom so that said disc members are disposed in adjacent peripheral relation with respect to said stripping roll, the peripheral notches in said disc members being regularly spaced and being shaped for receiving and supporting said clearer rolls to revolve therein, means for indexing said disc members to present said clearer rolls supported in said peripheral notches successively at said stripping roll to revolve in cleaning contact therewith, arcuate guide means substantially concentric with said disc members and disposed in relation to the peripheries thereof adjacent said stripping roll for retaining said clearer rolls in said carrier notches during cleaning contact with said stripping roll, and a friction element yieldingly disposed for pressing said clearer rolls outwardly in said carrier notches against said guide means and for imposing a drag on said clearer rolls while positioned at said stripping roll and thereby causing said clearer rolls to revolve at a relatively slow rate during said cleaning contact.

4. A cleaning device for revolving clearer rolls, said device comprising a driven stripper roll, a pair of peripherally notched disc members mounted for rotation about an axis parallel with the aXis of said stripping roll and spaced therefrom so that said disc members are disposed in adjacent peripheral relation with respect to said stripping roll, the peripheral notches in said disc members being regularly spaced and being shaped for receiving said clearer rolls to revolve therein, means for indexing said disc members to shift clearer rolls received in said peripheral notches at a topmost position successively to a sidewise position at said stripping roll for cleaning contact therewith, arcuate guide elements substantially concentric with said disc members and disposed in relation to the peripheries thereof adjacent said stripping roll for gauging the depth of cleaning contact of said clearer rolls with said stripping roll, and a friction element pivoted below the position of cleaning contact between said clearer rolls and said stripping roll, said pivoted friction element being yieldably biased for pressing clearer rolls in said peripheral notches at said sidewise position outwardly against said guide elements to the depth of cleaning contact gauged thereby and for imposing a drag on said clearer rolls while positioned at said stripping roll whereby said clearer rolls are caused to revolve at a relatively slow rate during said cleaning contact, and the pivoted disposition of said friction element allowing displacement thereof to accommodate shifting of a cleaned clearer roll from said sidewise position to a lowermost position of said peripheral notches free of said guide elements for discharge from said disc members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,183,035 Rooney et al May 16, 1916 1,274,522 Dronsfield Aug. 6, 1918 1,451,239 Terrell Apr. 28, 1925 1,658,744 Snyder Feb. 7, 1928 2,385,039 Steinmetz Sept. 18, 1945 2,443,002 Giffin et al June 8, 1948 

